The Hydrologic Cycle

While the total amount of water on Earth remains relatively constant, the disbursement of this water changes from moment to moment. Water is constantly in motion. The chief process responsible for moving water around the Earth is the hydrologic cycle.

We examine this cycle in much greater detail in chapter six. Essentially, water is carried from the oceans, lakes, and streams via evaporation upward into the atmosphere. It is then returned in the form of rain.